Minutes – 17 August 2011
North Kelvin Community Council Minutes
Wednesday 17 August 2011 at 6:30pm
St. Charles School
Present: Ken Andrew (KA) (Vice-Chair); Janet Andrews (JA); Gordon Barnes (GB) (Website); Peter Blackshaw (PB) (Secretary); Kevin Edgar (KE); Councillor Jim MacKechnie (JMacK); Jane Morgan (JM) (Planning Officer); Kate Wooding (KW) (Treasurer); Kirsty Davidson (KD) (Minute Secretary)
In attendance: Marie Breckenridge (MB), Head Teacher, St. Charles School; 44 members of the public; two representatives from the Canal Community Policing Team
Apologies: Dave Beavan (DB) (Chair); Liz Edgar (LE); Susie Hallas (SH); Douglas Peacock (DP)
1. Introduction and Welcome
KA welcomed everyone to the meeting and thanked the members of the public for coming. KA asked the Community Council members to introduce themselves.
2. Discussion on One Way System
KA explained that the consultation period ends on Friday, but Glasgow City Council (GCC) are not minded to go ahead with the planned One Way System, due to the level of response received. JM said an informal consultation had taken place and then a formal consultation, which does not require GCC to send out letters as notices on lampposts are considered consultation.
KA reiterated that as the One Way System to all intents and purposes has been shelved, this is an opportunity to move forward with the help of the community, to make suggestions to GCC for a resolution to the problem.
MB stated that she had not requested the One Way System. MB said she sends out monthly newsletters to the parents reminding them not to park in front of driveways, to be courteous etc and she has even called in individual parents. MB said her main concern was for the children’s safety. MB explained that she had inherited the informal One Way System. MB said she wants to find a solution to the problem.
A number of the members of the public were angry that they had not been consulted during the informal consultation process. Some residents did not receive letters when they should have done and other residents, in areas such as Oban Drive, were not consulted at all. A number of the members of the public felt the responsibility should lie with the parents rather than the local community. KA said the One Way System was not a fair solution to the problem, which only occurs at two points in the day.
There was a lengthy discussion about possible solutions to the problem and the following suggestions were made –
- Parents could park down at the courts or on Kelvinside Drive and walk children up to school (plenty of spaces at start/end of school) – KA stated that this was just pushing the problem onto another area
- Walking Bus (it was felt this would only work in the mornings)
- Informal One Way System (not everyone has been made aware of this in the past e.g. residents in Fergus Drive and Oban Drive)
- Delivery drivers being asked to deliver to the School after 9am
- Zigzags outside the school (like at Glasgow Airport)
- Parents to drop children off, but not park (it was felt this would only work in the mornings)
- Teachers park down at the courts, to free up space by the school
- Legally enforceable zigzags – JM stated this was a permanent solution for a temporary problem
- Digital signs at the bottom of Wilton Street/Wilton Court stating that there is no entry at certain times
- See how the new Hillhead Primary School on Gibson Street is dealing with dropping off and picking up children
- Bottom of Kelvnside Drive – introduce a crossing, make the area wider, introduce zigzags
- Park on Queen Margaret Drive and walk children to school via the 60 Steps
The Police representatives had to leave at this point, so JA mentioned that speed was a real issue and that traffic calming would be welcomed. The representatives said they would speak to their Sergeant and try and arrange to come down to the school in the next few weeks to speak to parents.
JMacK said it had been a good discussion, with lots of useful ideas, though legislation might not allow all solutions to be implemented. JMacK stated that there was certainly a problem, but it was untenable for GCC to proceed with the traffic order due to the large number of rejections. JMacK said GCC had listened to what the community had to say, JA said the community had done a great job.
3. Minutes of previous meeting and matters arising
The minutes of the June meeting were approved by GB and seconded by KW.
KA said he had written objecting to the new HMO application for Clouston Street and had been sent confirmation of receipt.
KW said she still had not received a clear answer in relation to where the money will go from the sale of the North Kelvin Meadow site.
Action: KW to follow-up further.
4. Police Report
The Police had to leave during the discussion about the One Way System, but KW said they would email the statistics. KW also said that they might be able to populate the template.
5. Councillor’s Report
JMacK reported that a Landscape Officer had visited the former school site on Oban Drive and that the trees on the eastern boundary have been retained as required.
JMacK said he had been informed that the play area on Hotspur Street was in a poor condition. JMacK reported that a site visit had taken place yesterday and the bark would be replaced in two weeks, the Graffiti Squad will be brought in and missing equipment will be pursued.
JA noted the railings have been removed from around the green space at the top of Fergus Drive/Kelvinside Gardens East.
Action: JMacK to investigate the removal of the railings.
KA reported fly tipping on Clouston Street. KA said it was building rubble that had been left lying for at least three weeks.
Action: JMacK to arrange to get the rubble uplifted.
KW said that one of the 10 people unable to attend the meeting had reported a wall coming down further along Kelvinside Gardens from the school. JMacK said this was now the responsibility of Queens Cross Housing Association, not GCC.
JM reported that she had received a letter about the wheeled bin collection moving to fortnightly. However, JM stated that GCC had run out of the purple bins, which should be used to relieve the pressure of the new arrangements.
JA asked for refuse collection to be on the agenda for the September meeting. JM said conducting Community Council business by email should also be on the agenda. It was agreed that conduction Community Council business by email was the first priority, to ensure there was something in place before the AGM in October.
Action: PB to add refuse collection and conducting Community Council business by email to the agenda.
JA suggested having a Community Council logo for use on notices, KA agreed to design a logo.
Action: KA to produce Community Council logo.
6. Planning Officer’s Report
JM said there was nothing of interest on the planning lists. JM confirmed that the North Kelvin Meadow development was still on the pre-application list. JMacK said a planning application was expected soon.
JM said she would follow up with Alan Russell (AR) about the training offered by Planning Aid and whether GCC would pay.
Action: JM to contact AR about Planning Aid training.
7. Information – website
GB said he still needed to work with JM on putting more planning detail on the website e.g. links to information about the planning process and detail about our comments/responses to planning applications.
GB said he would be happy for the website handover to take place over a few months after the AGM in October. KA thanked GB for all his work on the website.
JA said she had found some photos which she would pass to GB for the website.
8. Treasurer’s Report
KW reported the account balance is £1,213.25.
JM said the Community Council might want to spend some money on advertising the informal One Way System.
KW said the AGM was scheduled to take place during the October week holiday. It was agreed to hold the AGM on Wednesday 26 October and to book a larger room.
Action: KW to book room for 26 October.
It was also agreed to add publicising the AGM to the agenda for the September meeting.
Action: PB to add publicising the AGM to the agenda.
9. Correspondence
PB reported there had been a new application for a HMO at the Murano Street Student Village.
PB reported at a recent Community Council Forum meeting there had been a discussion about changes to refuse collection from 21 August. Main door properties refuse collection will move to fortnightly, there will be no impact to tenements. There will also be an introduction of purple bins for glass and brown bins for garden waste. PB said there are long term plans to require tenement residents to put their bins out the front and to keep bulk uplift items in the back court rather than out the front.
10. AOCB
GB said he had attended the 60 Steps AGM and they would be happy to come along to a Community Council meeting to encourage more engagement with the Community Council and local community. It was agreed to put the invite on hold until after the AGM in October.
KD raised the issue of responding to the One Way System consultation. KA agreed to write a letter of objection to the One Way System on behalf of the Community Council. JM agreed to summarise points from the minutes into a draft letter to GCC. KD agreed to circulate the draft minutes as soon as possible.
Action: KA to write objection letter, JM to write draft letter to GCC and KD to turnaround draft minutes as soon as possible.
Next meeting: 21 September 2011 @ 6.30pm, St. Charles School
